The Missing Gem

13 | Home

Nicole

I lick the edges of the plain white envelope with my wet tongue before pressing my fingers against them as I closed its lid, and pack it inside my shoulder bag. 

I adjust my ponytail before picking up my coffee to go and make my way out of Magic Beans, but not without asking for a honey muffin to go to eat once I get to my destination - Gems of the Heath.

"Hey Henry!" I said as I walked inside the store that had become so familiar to me by now. It was literally my second home here in London.

"Hi Nicky." Henry replied while he kept his eyes on the paper where he was scribbling down something. 

"Is Lucas not here yet?" I frowned as I saw his office door closed. 

"He's had a rough morning. I think Lexi got sick and he had to take her to the doctor." 

My heart instantly sank to my stomach, clenching and breaking all at once. "Oh no! What happened?"

"He was in a rush on the phone with me this morning but I'm pretty sure it's the chickenpox."

"Aw, poor little thing! I'll call him and meet him at the doctor's office or back at his place."

"Need any help to get there?"

"Nah, I'm a pro walking around London by now." I stuck my tongue out jokingly and he chuckled, nodding in agreement. 

"Oh, by the way, before I forget, will you please tell him that there's a buyer interested in the lost ring?"

I shrugged before waving him goodbye. "Sure, no problem." 

After two rings Lucas answered the phone and told me that he went indeed to the doctor with a sick Lexi, after apologizing me for not letting me know sooner. I told him it was no biggie and that I would meet him back at his place once he arrived from the pharmacy, from where he was answering the call now. 

I thought about the envelope I had in my bag with the plane ticket to LAX for the last Wednesday of November, and weather or not it was a good idea to use my miles to buy it. Lexi needs him, his sister needs him... what if something like this were to happen when he was in America with me?

With that train of thought, other thoughts and contemplation flooded my mind like a tidal wave. Not that I haven't thought about our future before or talked to Diane about it, but I never fully came to a conclusion and now that I thought about it all again, I still had zero conclusions which made me even more mad.

Would I be willing to stay here in London forever for him? 

And would he be able to leave it all behind for me? 

The more I thought about it, the more it scared me that all the happiness we've lived would come to an end soon. The only thing we had holding us back was our families - I had my parents and he had Melanie and Lexi. 

This was definitely something that we needed to talk about. But for now, pushing the concerns aside bought me some time and once I handed him the ticket, I would see how he'd react and then... take it from there.

I bought some chicken soup for the sick kid on the way, and in less than thirty minutes I was at his place, greeting him with a loving, lingering kiss on the lips.

"Hey. What did the doctor say?"

"There was nothing much the he could do. He just told her not to scratch if she felt itchy, which she does. She's asleep in my bed, she's was up the whole night."